When an electric current passes through air between ungrounded conductors, or between ungrounded conductors and grounded conductors, the temperatures can reach 35,000° F. Exposure to these extreme temperatures both burns the skin directly and causes ignition of clothing, which adds to the burn injury. The majority of hospital admissions due to electrical accidents are from arc-flash burns, not from shocks. Each year more than 2,000 people are admitted to burn centers with severe arc-flash burns. Arc-flashes can and do kill at distances of 10 ft (3 m).
Arc flash hazard exposure is a function of fault clearing time at an arcing current and a worker's distance from the event. Multiple techniques can be employed to limit risks related to such exposure. Arc flash injuries, for instance, are particularly prevalent among electricians. A myriad of solutions have been proposed to minimize such injuries.
One such method is through the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) by line workers and others at risk, including protective hoods, suits, and eyewear. One of the common ways to prevent eye and face injuries from arcing is interposing a lens or semi opaque window between the wearer and the arcing source. One such problem with PPE, however, is the restrictions in movement and perception which they place upon such workers. In the case of protective eyewear, it may be essential for such workers to have full visual perception (including full color acuity) in order to perceive and operate upon the fault conditions which may be the cause of such arc flash conditions, as may be needed in the use of color coded electrical wiring and the like. As a result, there is a need for an arc flash PPE eyewear which provides optical clarity, and in particular full color acuity to the user.